There are indeed a lot of marketing programs out there to choose from. And while many of them are good, some of them miss the mark entirely. There is no one thing or a “magic bullet” if you will when it comes to marketing in this industry.

The real question you should ask yourself is: Does this/my marketing have substance that will help me build relationships with the right people?

Your number one goal in marketing should be to build a connection with potential clients, referral sources and solution partners. The entire goal of marketing is to get your target audience to know, like and trust you so they will do business with you over and over again.

So if you are looking at a marketing program or system, I would make sure that it meets the following criteria:

1.    Does it give tremendous value to the reader?

2.    Is it providing education that will help or comfort your audience?

3.    Can it fit with your business goals and ethics?

4.    Is this marketing systemized or do you have to be hands-on to make sure it gets done?

5.    Will it keep you in constant contact with the people you want to build a good, solid long lasting relationship with?

6.    Does it establish you as the go-to expert in your area or field?

7.    Will it remove the fear of doing business with you?

8.    Is it a win-win scenario?

9.    Does it make it drop dead simple for people to do business with you?

10.  Will it allow you to automate touching your clients and solution partners during every job multiple times?

Another thing to consider is whether or not the company selling you the system offers support after your purchase. Some ongoing training or support can be important for implementation.

 You can save some money by creating your own pieces and system following the criteria above. However, purchasing a system that is already done for you will save you lots of money and time in the long run just as long as it is a proven system with a good track record.